Jack-O-Lantern Decorating Tips!

October means it’s time to carve pumpkins and decorate our front stoops with jack-o-lanterns. Whether they’re scary, silly, or simple, they can add a lot of festive autumn character to our homes. However, they can present their own set of challenges, particularly if you decide to make yours with children. Organic Authority has put together a great list of pumpkin carving tips and tricks to help you make amazing decorations safely and effectively. Happy Halloween!

1. Bigger pumpkins are easier to carve, but before you grab the largest specimen, inspect the rind.

2. A lighter color means softer flesh that’s easier to carve in detail.

3. Any bruises, cuts or soft spots can mean the pumpkin’s already started rotting — a bad sign if you want it to last more than a few days.

4. Give your pumpkin a lift. If it’s heavy, it’ll probably have thicker flesh. It should feel somewhat light, meaning it’s nice and hollow inside.

5. You’re only as good as your carving tool. A boning knife — sharp, thin and pointed — is a good choice for carving small details.

6. For cutting out the lid, you might want a larger carving knife or even a serrated knife.

7. If you’re carving with kids, don’t just hand them a deadly weapon and let them start hacking away with it. Pick up a pumpkin carving set that includes a safety knife designed for small hands. Your health insurance provider will thank you.

8. Here comes another of Halloween’s greatest moments: Reaching inside a pumpkin and pulling out a handful of gooey guts and slimy seeds. But wait! Don’t just throw that away. Rinse the seeds and toast them on a baking sheet. Sprinkled with seasonings, they’re a perfect snack.

9. Scrape the inside of the pumpkin completely to expose the light-colored flesh, which reflects more light.

10. You can use a large spoon or ice cream scoop for scraping — or if you’re feeling daring, try an electric mixer on medium-low speed.

11. If you’re going for high art, print or draw your design on paper first. Then lightly trace the design through the paper and onto the pumpkin with the tip of your knife.

12. For a more extemporaneous approach, sketch your design directly onto the pumpkin with a dry-erase or water-based marker.

13. It can be surprisingly hard to keep a candle lit inside a dank gourd. Make sure you provide enough oxygen to feed the flame by leaving the lid ajar (cut it at a steep angle to help with this) and by cutting “ears” or air holes in the sides and back of the pumpkin.

14. Avoid a pumpkin inferno by placing a tea light inside a pint glass.

15. Want to keep your Jack indoors? Sprinkle his insides with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and he’ll double as an autumn air freshener.